Bahamas PM explains housing minister's firing
Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham explained on Sunday that he fired housing minister Kenneth Russell from his Cabinet on Friday because he acted inappropriately as it relates to a development that was being proposed for East Grand Bahama.
Ingraham spoke to hundreds of jubilant Free National Movement (FNM) supporters, who packed Christ the King Anglican Church hall in Freeport to hear him explain why he fired the housing minister.
“I assure you, I did what any prime minister who is worth his salt would do to a minister who acts in a manner inconsistent with Cabinet and the government of The Bahamas,” Ingraham said.
“There is nothing personal about it. It is what had to be done.”
Russell sat in the front row as Ingraham spoke of the series of events that climaxed with the firing.
Both Ingraham and Russell were greeted by thunderous applause.
“The party I lead is always in search of new and additional talent to add to our team. That’s the purpose of the party, to renew itself. No man is an island and no man can claim to be in office forever,” Ingraham said.
“Some time ago, I delegated to my deputy, [Brent] Symonette, to go and speak with Ken Russell, and tell Ken it’s suggested that he step aside as a candidate in the next election.
“Brent brought me back a very profane message from Ken. I said, ‘Well, I got to belt this cat myself.’ And by cat, I don’t mean derogatory. I mean it’s a job I got to do myself.
“I did that job myself. I told Ken, who is here with us today, that after the next election, if we are successful, as I expect we will [be], I don’t intend to put you back in the Cabinet, and I suggest that you step aside, so we can nominate somebody else.
“I made an offer as to what would happen for him if he did that. He told me he’s going to get back to me next week.”
Ingraham further explained that at a recent meeting in Grand Bahama, Elkinah Pinder (a long-time friend of Kenneth Russell and a trustee of the High Rock Branch of the FNM) started talking about the proposed East End project.
“This matter was considered by the government of The Bahamas on four separate occasions, and we determined on each occasion at the end of it that we could not and would not support this project,” Ingraham said.
“In fact, we will love to have a project like that or any kind of project in Grand Bahama or in The Bahamas, but we also want to do things that we think make sense and not everyone who comes along and says he has done something is somebody who we could trust.”
The prime minister continued: “I asked Elkinah in the meeting, ‘What project are you talking about?’ He then handed the [microphone] to Ken. He told Ken, ‘Go ahead.’ Ken described the project. I spoke some words afterwards.”
Ingraham said he saw Russell days later and told him, “The offer I made to you last week is hereby withdrawn because if it wasn’t so near to the election, I would fire you for what you did.”
The prime minister said: “He explained himself. That didn’t change my view. Subsequent to that, you would have seen in the newspapers, you would have listened to the radio and you would have heard the television.”
In the interviews to which Ingraham referred, Russell said the FNM would lose hundreds, if not thousands of votes if he is not re-nominated.
Ingraham said when he met with Russell on Friday he asked him for his resignation. Russell refused, and the prime minister fired him.
“I have nothing against him, notwithstanding what he says about me,” said Ingraham, adding that he was hurt that Russell called him a tyrant.
“He has been my friend, is still my friend. I don’t intend to lift a finger against him. I am bigger than that.”
Ingraham said constituencies in Grand Bahama, like other constituencies, are important to the FNM.
He said it is important for the party to continue to bring in new talent.
“We want in this election to put forward to the Bahamian people the best team that we can,” he reiterated.
“In order to do that, some of our members who are now in the House are going to retire. Some of them will of their own volition. Some are going to be asked not to run again.
“I do not expect to have another FNM MP behave as Ken did when they are asked that question. And I say that with great confidence.”
Ingraham asked Grand Bahamians to continue to support the FNM.
“We are the best party for Grand Bahama, the best party for The Bahamas,” said Ingraham, adding that the PLP administration’s footprint is nowhere in Grand Bahama.
“We never claimed to be perfect. But the evidence of our goodness in Grand Bahama can be seen, felt and touched.”
He added, “In the next election, the choice is going to be very simple: PLP or FNM; Hubert Ingraham or Perry Christie to be prime minister.
“Never mind all this noise in the market and all these other things. It’s going to be PLP or FNM. FNM or PLP. And everything in the middle will get crushed up.”
Earlier in the day, Ingraham met privately with FNMs from the High Rock constituency and asked them to send in the names of two people who could be considered to run in the new East Grand Bahama constituency.
Russell reacts
Russell was not at the earlier meeting, which was held at Pelican Bay.
After the meeting at Christ the King, Russell made it clear that he did not have discussions with Pinder regarding a matter discussed in Cabinet.
“I don’t know how I feel about the matter that led to my firing because I did not speak to anybody about the project,” Russell told The Nassau Guardian.
“The gentleman (Elkinah Pinder) who he (Ingraham) spoke about, has met with the people who want to do the project for the past year, so I didn’t speak to [anybody] about the project; [I didn’t talk] out of Cabinet.”
Russell said Pinder knew as much about the project as him given all the meetings he had with the parties concerned.
“It had nothing to do with [leaking any information out of] Cabinet,” Russell insisted. “Nothing at all.”
Russell also stood by his comments that Ingraham had acted like a tyrant, but indicated that he is pleased that the selection of a candidate for the new East Grand Bahama constituency will be handled in a democratic way.
“I am pleased with the fact that the prime minister has changed the method of selecting candidates,” the High Rock MP said.
“As I have said from jump street, if you are selecting candidates in a democratic way, I have no problem with that. So if he is telling the branch that they must send at least two persons’ names in for selection, I’ve got no problem with that.
“What it will mean is that the final decision will still be made at the council level…It will give everybody who wants to run an opportunity to put their name in.
“That is not what we were told last week. We were told last week that a team will select the candidates and they will bring them to us and either we like them or we don’t like them.”
Russell said he knows that if the branch submits his name as one of the two names, he would not be selected.
“But at least the branch will have an opportunity to put in names to select the candidates and that’s the democratic process that I was fighting for, for the past week.”
He said he had not yet made a decision about whether he would still run, even if it’s not on the FNM’s ticket.
Russell added that in the past he defended Ingraham when people called him names.
“I thought he was the greatest democrat in the world and unfortunately this incident (the matter related to the selection of candidates) just changed my mind,” the former minister said.
“Now tonight he’s gone back to saying the branch will have an opportunity to select candidates.”
Russell said the FNM must offer hope to Grand Bahamians ahead of the next general election.
“The FNM in Grand Bahama is still very strong,” Russell said.
Courtesy of Nassau Guardian
IMF says St Kitts-Nevis meets quantitative performance targets
The Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reported that all quantitative performance targets appear to have been met by St Kitts and Nevis despite continued weakness in real output growth in its assessment of the stand-by arrangement (SBA).
Alfred Schipke, head of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff mission to St Kitts and Nevis, led an IMF Team that reviewed the ongoing macroeconomic and structural policies and also assessed the performance of the program’s quantitative targets at the end-September 2011.
In a statement issued at the end of a press conference, Schipke said the revenue enhancement measures implemented last year continue to yield increased tax receipts in line with program expectations at the time of the SBA approval. The authorities have also restrained expenditure growth in order to meet the program target for the overall fiscal balance.
He said significant progress has been made on the structural reform agenda that aims to strengthen revenue collection and Treasury management to improve budget performance, enhances financial regulation and supervision, and supports the debt restructuring.
“The legislation to facilitate the corporatization of the electricity department has been passed resulting in the establishment of the St Kitts Electricity Corporation, which is expected to cover its costs. At the same time, progress has been made in discussions with both external and domestic creditors over the terms on which the public debt, which remains unsustainable, will be restructured. Possible scenarios for the restructuring of the external debt have been discussed with creditors and discussions on a framework for the dealing with domestic creditors are advancing. As the government has previously indicated, Treasury Bills will be excluded from the debt restructuring exercise. Meanwhile, the registration and valuation of the first 600 acres of land, which are part of proposed debt-land swap, is expected to be completed before the end of this year,” said Schipke.
“The mission and the authorities have agreed on a draft letter of intent that incorporates the policies to be presented in the 2012 Budget to continue the Government’s home grown fiscal consolidation program, and reconfirms the structural benchmarks for 2012. These include, among others, the drafting and enactment of new procurement legislation, development of a medium term expenditure framework, and strengthening of social safety nets. Based on these actions and on the fiscal performance, the mission would recommend to the IMF Executive Board completion of the first review under the SBA. The IMF Board is expected to discuss the first review at the end of January 2012,” said the IMF official.
Schipke said the authorities remain firmly committed to the program’s policies and objectives, and recognize the benefits of strong macroeconomic policies in achieving the goals of their economic program.
He said the government is aware that there are still many challenges ahead, including the impact of the protracted global recovery and volatility in world financial markets on domestic economic activity, elevated food and fuel prices, and the ever-present threat of natural disasters.
“Despite the strong performance in 2011, and given the weakened global environment, the fiscal situation continues to be constrained. Continued implementation of the program, including the execution of comprehensive debt restructuring agreements with creditors, will help establish the conditions for strong economic growth and employment to improve the living standards of all citizens,” Schipke said in the statement.
CUOPM
Health Minister wants to lift media ban in TNT
Reports of bad attitudes and problems at health facilities have prompted Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan to reconsider lifting the ban on media having access to health institutions.
He wants the media to expose deficiencies in the health system with the hope that this would lead to improvement. Khan said last weekend he had received reports about “attitudes” and problems in the nation’s hospitals and he would meet with the regional health authorities (RHA) to consider lifting the ban on media entering public health institutions.
The former administration introduced the Regional Health Authority (Conduct) Regulations 2008, which included a clause prohibiting health workers from talking to media without authorisation. The regulations were drafted to govern public officers after they were transferred to the RHAs. Media have been told that the chairmen and chief executive officers of RHAs are authorised to speak for the organisation.
Responding to questions from media after the opening of the orientation programme at Crowne Plaza, Port-of-Spain for health care professionals from Cuba, Khan said, “You (media) will be able to look at the negatives, report them and at the same time don’t sensationalise them. Interview the people responsible for non-maintenance, indifferent attitudes, hostile security behaviour to our patients and their relatives. In doing so I do hope we will be able to upgrade our health system to a manner that is going to be excellent.”
Khan said he had to speak to ministry and RHA personnel to come up with a policy. He said the privacy of patients who do not want media coverage must be protected. “You will be allowed to interview (anyone) you so desire but keeping the privacy of the patients which is the most important part of it. In doing so you will be helping me by putting people on the radar so they will have to do their jobs better.”
Asked about the regulations which restrict medical personnel speaking to media and whether these would be amended, Khan said the regulations could be changed and this was why a policy had to be developed.
Newsday
Former Antigua PM says “no” to scrapping LIAT
Former Prime Minister Lester Bird has rejected the suggestion by the Vincentian leader for LIAT to be scrapped and replaced with a new airline.
Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines and head of LIAT shareholder governments, made the recommendation last week following three days of industrial action by pilots.
However, Bird, the Political Leader of the main opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) said, “The solution to a labour dispute cannot be the creation of a new legal entity. Prime Minister Gonsalves’ proposal does not address the issue and further complicates the finding of a reasonable solution in quick time.”
The former Prime Minister insisted that any solution to the ongoing industrial dispute lies with the airline management.
He urged the government to also involve the ALP in discussions on the future of LIAT since his party assisted the Antigua-based airline several times while it was in office.
“The ALP calls on Mr. Spencer to include Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in any consultation and decision-making that pertains to LIAT. The ALP insists on consultations that will include all stakeholders, in search of a quick solution,” Bird said in a statement.
“LIAT must not and cannot be allowed to deteriorate through stubborn and unbending decisions that will continue to inflict serious damage on the carrier, and hurt the island-countries that are dependent upon LIAT.”
Labour Minister Dr Errol Cort is mediating in the dispute that was caused by last week Monday’s sacking of veteran pilot, Captain Michael Blackburn, Chairman of the pilot’s union.
The negotiations are expected to continue today.
Caribbean 360 News
Ballot box break-in threatens talks between Guyana political parties
The discovery of a break-in of three containers holding ballot boxes is threatening to undermine parliamentary partnership talks between the country’s main political parties.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) said this and other evidence points to a clear conspiracy to “cheat the PPP/C of a clear parliamentary majority.”
The ruling party had initiated talks with the opposition coalition group, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change after its 32-seat win in the November 28 general election left it without a majority in the 65-seat National Assembly.
President Donald Ramotar said the discussions were aimed at arriving at a consensus on the way forward.
“I can promise you that I would do my best to make this new arrangement work; and very, very soon we will have indications if I will have partners at the other side as we push our country forward,” he said.
The PPP/C is now accusing some political elements, which it did not identify, of using military-type planning and operation to frustrate and undermine the democratic process in Guyana.
The party said it is “flabbergasted by the on-going efforts by certain forces to interfere with the integrity of the 2011 elections material and vital evidence should there be either a recount or even a forensic audit, which the party is advocating.”
“… The PPP/C has always maintained that it remains unopposed to a total or partial recount of the ballots given our firm view that there was orchestrated misconduct at several polling station and divisions.
“It must be noted that the PPP/C was prevailed upon to withdraw its request for partial recount as the opposition had claimed that would delay the announcement of the preliminary results. This request was made by the PPP/C in light of certain facts and activities that took place and affected votes which were cast for the PPP/C.”
The ruling party said it expects the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and law enforcement authorities to move resolutely in apprehending those involved.
GECOM has not yet issued a statement on the matter.
Caribbean 360 News
Oprah, Louis Farrakhan visit Haiti
President Michel Martelly said he intends to ask American talk show host Oprah Winfrey to serve as a goodwill ambassador for Haiti to boost aid to the country.
He said the request would be made during her visit to the country this week. He is scheduled to meet with Winfrey today, a day after she arrived in the country.
Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced following the 2010 earthquake that devastated the country. Many continue to live in makeshift camps.
During her visit, Winfrey will visit a settlement camp for displaced people run by Hollywood actor Sean Penn and his aid group.
She is also expected to meet with American fashion designer Donna Karan.
Winfrey’s visit coincides with a five-day trip to the country by Louis Farrakhan, Leader of the African-American religious movement, Nation of Islam, who is looking at ways his organization can assist with rebuilding the country.
“I have longed throughout my life to set my foot in the sacred soil of Haiti,” Farrakhan told journalists.
Caribbean 360 News
MC Hammer Pays Off Financial Debt to IRS
Oakland bred rapper MC Hammer is reportedly being sued by the United States Government for $779,585 in back taxes owed from his earnings.
The money in contention dates back to 1996 to 1997, during the years in which Hammer was believed to be facing his worst financial problems, since he filed for bankruptcy in 1996.
But according to Hammer, he’s already taken care of the debt.
The rapper took to Twitter to assure fans and naysayers, that has proof that he took care of his debt with the IRS.
“700k … Don’t get too excited .. I paid them already and kept my receipt. Stamped by a US Federal Judge,” Hammer Tweeted from his Twitter account @MCHammer.
Despite his bankruptcy claim in 1996 due to $13 million worth of debt, just half a decade earlier in 1991, Forbes Magazine had estimated the rapper’s net worth at over $33 million dollars.
Hammer, who is known for his hit songs “U Can’t Touch This” and “Too Legit to Quit,” admittedly mismanaged his finances during that period.
“I didn’t just take money and say, ‘I want to be a blessing to myself,’” he said. “I took my money and employed 200 people in my community. I had a payroll of a million dollars a month at times.”
allhiphop
Jermaine Dupri Sued Over Repossessed Lamborghini
Rap mogul Jermaine Dupri is at the center of a lawsuit over his 2005 Lamborghini Murcielago.
Premier Financial Services recently filed a lawsuit against the So So Def mogul in Georgia Superior Court, claiming he has failed to make payments on the car.
According to the lawsuit, Jermaine Dupri made a $70,000 down payment on the car and financed the remainder of the luxury vehicle at a price of $330,000.
He was to make 58 payments at a cost of $4,323, but around 2009, the mogul defaulted on the loan.
The lawsuit claims that Jermaine Dupri still owes almost $80,000 on the Lamborghini.
According to reports, Jermaine Dupri’s Lamborghini has already been repossessed and sold for $115,000, but the company is suing the rapper/producer for $79,095 damages.
allhiphop
More Carnival bands next year
he newly built Carnival seating facilities at the Queen’s Park Savannah which was completed at a cost of more than $50 million in time for Carnival activities this year, is being “tweaked” to make it better for patrons attending Carnival activities come 2012. Minister of Arts and Multiculturism, Winston Gypsy Peters said on Saturday.
Peters was at the time fielding questions from reports at the Launch of Carnival 2012, at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain. According to Peters, “We are enhancing the facilities and making it better. This needs a little tweaking here and there so we are improving on the facilities,” Peters said.
According to Peters, Carnival 2012 is going to be branded “The Real Thing”. He said he is expecting a bigger, better Carnival 2012 with more tourists than ever before. He noted that people should feel safer because the recently disbanded state of emergency (SoE) had a positive effect on the country. Peters said, “The National Carnival Bands Commission (NCBA) has confirmed that there will be more bands on the road next year, so Carnival is going to be bigger. Carnival is going to be safe, innovative and vibrant. It is going to be a spectacle to behold; it’s going to be a bigger, better Carnival. People should feel safer being in Trinidad and Tobago today.
Last year had a record-breaking visitorship in the country and we had more crime than we have now.
There is no reason why we should not have more people now in the country; the SoE has had a positive effect on the country.”
Questioned on the Carnival routes Peters said unless the routes are expanded to other places in the city, routes will always be a problem. “The routes will always be a problem, there is nothing that we can do because Carnival keeps expanding and every year we get larger bands and the fact is that this is what we are going to have unless and until we expand the routes to other places in the city,” he said.
While the government increased prize monies for all the major Carnival competitions this year, Peters confirmed that last year’s $2 million was a “one off”. “There will be no $2 million prize monies next year.
We made it clear this year that it was a one off thing. The government could only do what we could do,” Peters said.
US box office hits three-year low
The US box office has suffered its lowest takings in three years, despite the pulling power of romantic comedy New Year's Eve's all-star cast.
The film, featuring the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Robert De Niro and Ashton Kutcher debuted at number one with just $13.7m (£8.8m).
Jonah Hill comedy The Sitter opened at number two with just $10m (£6.4m).
The poor weekend leaves total box office revenues for 2011 about four percent down compared to last year.
"It's unbelievable how bad it is," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
The last two weeks have been the lowest-performing at the US box office for the entire year.
Cinema-goers spent $77.4m (£49.5m) on tickets over the weekend, down from $81m (£52m) the previous week.
Reviews for New Year's Eve, a follow-up to box office hit Valentine's Day, were not kind.
The London Evening Standard said: "This is one of those unusual films that's more boring than life."
Time magazine added: "Neither nicely written, nor nicely acted nor nicely made."
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 found itself in in third place with takings of $7.9m (£5.1m).
The fourth film in the vampire franchise has made around $260m (£167m) in the US so far.
Disney's The Muppets took fourth place for the weekend with $7.1m (£4.5m) and British comedy animation Arthur Christmas took the fifth spot with $6.6m (£4.2m). Its total earnings in the US now stand at $33.5m (£21.5m).
Next weekend sees the release of Hollywood's end-of-year blockbusters with Robert Downey Jr returning in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and the family film Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.
Also on the horizon are Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and David Fincher's adaptation of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.